This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

The National Christmas Tree and a Jewish President

With all the election hoopla going on at present, I've been thinking a lot about the presidency. Even though Bernie Sander's chances seem slim to win the Democratic nomination, if he did, and ended up winning the presidency, he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.

As a non-Christian president, regardless of how religious or nonreligious Bernie Sanders personally is, what happens to the "National" Christmas tree and all the Christmas decorations in the White House? Is the White House just the president's "home," and he can decorate it however he wants? Is it a public building and the personal religion of the current president doesn't matter? Is it a mixture of both?

Even if it is a public building, should that matter? Should the White House, a pseudo-government building, have a Christmas tree in the first place? Yes, I know that the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christmas tree is permissible on public and government property (Lynch v. Donnelly for those of you who are curious), but I think they're wrong. Would we really expect a Jewish president, Bernie Sanders or anyone else, to light the National Christmas tree? To have his house, White or otherwise, filled with Christmas decorations?

Just curious what people's thoughts were on here...
«1

Comments

  • Christmas is a secular holiday for all intents and purposes.

    I suspect the christmas celebrations would happen identically with Sanders, or even an openly atheist president, as they have for generations.
  • Pretty sure the White House Christmas Tree is non-religious in nature. It's just a tree with lights. I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing any crosses or nativity scenes at the White House. December 25 is a national public holiday, so celebrating that aspect of it with a tree is no different than pardoning the turkey on Thanksgiving. Easter is also a public holiday, and they do a non-religious easter-egg hunt with the kids. No Jesus.

    Of course, this could all just be my shitty memory, which also remembers menorah lightings at the White House.
  • edited March 2016
    Christmas is a secular holiday for Christians, sure, but it's not a secular holiday for the majority of non-Christians in the country. This may sound counter-intuitive, but I think that Christians don't get to decide if something is a secular holiday or not, the non-Christians do. By that I mean that Christians can commercialize and secularize their religion as much as they want... put up Christmas trees, eat chocolate bunnies and paint eggs, etc... but the true measure of a secular holiday is what non-Christians do. Sure, there are some non-Christians who put up Christmas trees, but while I don't have specific numbers, in my experience, the vast majority of non-Christians don't. Christians don't get to tell non-Christians that suddenly Christmas is a secular holiday.

    Yes, the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christmas Tree is non-religious in nature, I even supplied the case, and yes, Christmas is a national public holiday, but I disagree with them, and personally, if there were more non-Christians on the Court when that decision was decided, I think the outcome might have been different. Just look at the recent abortion case argued last week and how the three women Justices basically eviscerated Texas's arguments.

    What would happen if a non-Christian or atheist president refused to have a Christmas Tree in the White House? Would we force him or her to have one? Because if we did, that's getting awfully close to the whole "establishing a state religion" thing that the First Amendment specifically prevents.
    Post edited by jabrams007 on
  • As a non-christian, I definitely consider christmas to be a secular holiday. Don't put up a tree per se anymore, but we do put lights up and generally celebrate.
  • Rym said:

    As a non-christian, I definitely consider christmas to be a secular holiday. Don't put up a tree per se anymore, but we do put lights up and generally celebrate.

    I'm sorry for not being specific enough in my words. By non-Christian, I meant religious person of another faith.

    I'm not 100% sure, Rym, but if I would hazard a guess, I'd say you're from a Christian background. While it's common for former religious Christians to still put up a Christmas Tree, I don't see a lot of my non-religious Jewish friends suddenly putting up trees in December.
  • Easter is such a shit holiday. As an atheist, I never even remember when it is going to happen, and there is nothing to look forward to, since it is not a federal holiday, so no day off of work.
  • Matt said:

    Easter is such a shit holiday. As an atheist, I never even remember when it is going to happen, and there is nothing to look forward to, since it is not a federal holiday, so no day off of work.

    This raises another point... there's a White House Easter Egg Roll every year. If we had a Jewish or a president of another religion, are they still forced to have this event?
  • To this non-Christian atheist who comes from a Christian background, I see the tree as an acknowledgment of the holiday and a nod to the faithful, but not a direct endorsement of the faith end of things.

    I mean, the Obamas sent out Kwanzaa greetings. I believe there's a menorah in the White House, and don't they light it?

    Basically, the options that make me happy are to either make it entirely secular, or to acknowledge multiple faiths.

    Obviously, you can't acknowledge all faiths - but giving nods to several major denominations is close enough for me.

    Yes, I am speaking from a very privileged perspective here. This is not an issue I've actually considered before at all, so I'm interested in the discussion.

  • I'm not 100% sure, Rym, but if I would hazard a guess, I'd say you're from a Christian background. While it's common for former religious Christians to still put up a Christmas Tree, I don't see a lot of my non-religious Jewish friends suddenly putting up trees in December.

    In Istanbul, it's christmas trees everywhere.

  • edited March 2016
    Rym said:


    I'm not 100% sure, Rym, but if I would hazard a guess, I'd say you're from a Christian background. While it's common for former religious Christians to still put up a Christmas Tree, I don't see a lot of my non-religious Jewish friends suddenly putting up trees in December.

    In Istanbul, it's christmas trees everywhere.

    Basing US national holidays on Turkish customs sounds like a great idea to me.

    Pete, to address your post, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a "Separation of Church and State" absolutist. I think we should take God off our money, out of our Pledge, etc, so I know that my views may sound extreme to some people.

    At the same time, as the US becomes increasingly nonreligious and more diverse, what Christians (or former Christians) consider secular isn't always the same as what people of other faiths believe.

    Sure, historically and culturally, a Christmas Tree has no religious significance. But overall, with some exceptions, a Christmas Tree is only affiliated with one religion and during one time of year. People don't put up Christmas Trees in January or February to celebrate winter, they put them up in December and then most people take them down after New Year's.

    Yes, the Supreme Court, in Lynch v. Donnelly, held that a Christmas Tree isn't a religious symbol, but not one of the Supreme Court Justices were of another faith. I'll go back to my original argument that it's not Christians who get to decide what's a secular holiday, or a Christian religious symbol, it's what non-Christians think. I couldn't tell you for sure, but I would bet that if the case were held today, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan might have a unique perspective on this issue, just like they did on last week's abortion case in Texas.

    At the end of the day, I think you have two outcomes:

    A) If the White House is the president's personal home, he or she can decorate it however the president wants... But, this is a country that had a major freakout when Starbucks just had red coffee cups. Imagine the shit storm that would happen if a Jewish president cancelled "White House Christmas."

    B ) If the White House is a government building, then there shouldn't be any religious symbols in it. No Christmas Tree, no Menorah, no Kwanza whatevers. Nothing. I know this is an extreme view, but having Christmas decorations all over the White House and a Tree in nearly every room available to the public and one Menorah thrown in the corner somewhere isn't being egalitarian, it's tokenism. It's basically saying "we're not establishing a religion because we have a Menorah... see? See?" How is this any different from a movie that has an all white cast except for the obligatory "street-smart" black person?

    Edited to add:

    Here's a link to the official "Holidays at the White House 2015" page. Lots of multi-religious events going on there...

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house/holidays-2015
    Post edited by jabrams007 on
  • I guess I'll put it this way. As a fairly militant anti-religious activist with deep disrespect for religion, I nonetheless feel like attacking christmas specifically is at best counter-productive. It's a minor battle in a longer war, and it comes with no small cost.

    Also, the religious christians in America are themselves the ones claiming that christmas is "under attack" and becoming a secular holiday. They've admitted our premise. That's the first step toward rhetorical downfall.
  • Oh, and for the record, the Supreme Court has also held that a nativity scene or a "creche" can be displayed on public or government property if there are sufficient “secular holiday symbols” nearby, such as snowmen, Santa Claus, and reindeer... as if something can become less religious if it's surrounded by nonreligious symbols.
  • That's the same logic that has allowed other religions, including satanists, to put their symbols on public property.

    This has worked. More than one smaller town has banned all religious displays rather than allow the satanists to have one. It's a long term way to push religion out entirely, as the people who most want Jesus stuff are also literally afraid of Satan stuff.
  • Rym said:

    I guess I'll put it this way. As a fairly militant anti-religious activist with deep disrespect for religion, I nonetheless feel like attacking christmas specifically is at best counter-productive. It's a minor battle in a longer war, and it comes with no small cost.

    Also, the religious christians in America are themselves the ones claiming that christmas is "under attack" and becoming a secular holiday. They've admitted our premise. That's the first step toward rhetorical downfall.

    Again, and I think for the third time, I don't think it matters what religious or nonreligious Christians think when it comes to Christmas. They don't get to decide if it becomes a secular holiday, or at least they shouldn't. Non-Christians get to decide.

    Let me put it this way...

    Imagine if Jews suddenly stopped having Seders for Passover and instead, just celebrated the holiday by giving gifts and eating matzoh and chocolate covered macaroons. No ten plagues, no exodus from Egypt retelling, no Four Questions, just gifts and no bread for eight days. Now, Jews all across the US suddenly declare that Passover is a secular holiday and should be a national holiday as well. Time off from school and work for everyone!

    But it doesn't work that way. Jews don't get to suddenly decide if Passover is a secular or religious holiday. The only way that happens is if non-Jews suddenly start celebrating non-religious Passover as well. Despite Christianity being the dominant religion and culture in the US, Christmas only "truly" becomes a secular holiday if the overwhelming majority of people of other faiths start celebrating it as well. Christians can gut their religion as much as they want, but until everyone else in the country agrees with them, it's a religious holiday.
  • don't think it matters what religious or nonreligious Christians think when it comes to Christmas. They don't get to decide if it becomes a secular holiday, or at least they shouldn't. Non-Christians get to decide.

    I agree with your premise. I am a non-christian. So I get to decide.

    Satanists are non-christians, so they also get to decide.

  • Rym said:

    don't think it matters what religious or nonreligious Christians think when it comes to Christmas. They don't get to decide if it becomes a secular holiday, or at least they shouldn't. Non-Christians get to decide.

    I agree with your premise. I am a non-christian. So I get to decide.

    Satanists are non-christians, so they also get to decide.

    On that, we agree. You, the Satanists, and all the other non-Christians in the US get to decide if Christmas is secular or not. While there are always some exceptions, the vast majority of other religions in the US consider Christmas to be a Christian holiday and not a secular one.

    All this discussion still doesn't answer my original question though:

    If a Jewish or non-Christian person became president, would they have to have a National Christmas Tree in the White House?
  • If a Jewish or non-Christian person became president, would they have to have a National Christmas Tree in the White House?

    I am 100% confident that they would have a christmas tree.

  • Rym said:

    If a Jewish or non-Christian person became president, would they have to have a National Christmas Tree in the White House?

    I am 100% confident that they would have a christmas tree.

    I honestly don't know. Forcing a non-Christian to have a Christmas Tree in the White House seems dangerously close to "establishing" a state religion to me.
  • They're "forced" to only by longstanding tradition and public opinion. They could choose not to. I just don't think they would.

    Gotta pick your battles. That's how you win wars.
  • The President doesn't actually do any White House decorating. Often the First Lady is consulted on decor, but they mostly have People for that. It would only be an issue if the President specifically said not to do it. I'd be perfectly happy to see all religious symbols removed from government activity, but I honestly don't give enough fucks to fight about a solstice tree or whatever they want to call it to pretend it's not primarily about Christmas.

    I personally like to put up lights because it's fucking DARK in winter, and I'm most likely to celebrate the turning point where the days start getting longer more than anything else... even if it's not a religious celebration.
  • Festivus pole in the White House.

    It will happen in our lifetimes.
  • I vote for a Frankenstinian amalgamation of all holiday symbols, equality of blasphemy. Let's do it like the RCC of yesteryear.
  • he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.

    JFK was Catholic.
  • Daikun said:

    he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.

    JFK was Catholic.
    ???
  • Rym said:

    That's the same logic that has allowed other religions, including satanists, to put their symbols on public property.

    This has worked. More than one smaller town has banned all religious displays rather than allow the satanists to have one. It's a long term way to push religion out entirely, as the people who most want Jesus stuff are also literally afraid of Satan stuff.

    They did this in Oklahoma relatively recently. Some guy paid to put up a 10 commandments statue at the state capitol. The state supreme court ruled if they let 10 commandments, they have to let Satan.

    They took down the 10 commandments. Now Satan's in Detroit.

    Satan'sprettycool
  • Rym said:

    Daikun said:

    he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.

    JFK was Catholic.
    ???
    You didn't know this? John Forbes Kerry is Catholic too. They were pushing the parallels pretty hard when he ran for president.
  • Starfox said:

    Rym said:

    Daikun said:

    he would be the first Jewish, and non-Christian, president.

    JFK was Catholic.
    ???
    You didn't know this? John Forbes Kerry is Catholic too. They were pushing the parallels pretty hard when he ran for president.
    I know he was Catholic. I'm not sure how it's relevant in that context. Catholics are Christians. They're arguably the most Christian by any historical standard, barring possibly the Orthodox.

  • Depending on where you are, people will argue that Christian means Protestant.
  • Oh, never mind. I didn't see enough context.
  • Neito said:

    Depending on where you are, people will argue that Christian means Protestant.

    That's bananas. That said, i knew some Catholic = ho of Babylon people, but even they said there were good Christian Catholics out there, namely the ones they knew.
Sign In or Register to comment.